Salaries & Wages Survey Report, Malaysia, 2017

The Salaries & Wages Survey is conducted by the Department of Statistics, Malaysia (DOSM) every year through household approach to collect information of monthly salaries & wages from the principal occupation of paid employees. Salaries & Wages Survey is carried out using probability sampling covering all states in Malaysia. Paid employee is defined in this survey as a person who works for at least six hours a day or at least 20 days a month. The total number of paid employees in 2017 was 8.7 million persons.

The value of median monthly salaries & wages received by employees rose 7.7 per cent per annum to RM2,160 from RM2,000 in 2016. Meanwhile, the mean monthly salaries & wages increased to RM2,880 as compared to RM2,657 in the previous year with the growth rate of 8.1 per cent. [Table 1]

MONTHLY SALARIES & WAGES OF EMPLOYEES BY SEX

Median monthly salaries & wages for both male and female employees posted high growth of 8.2 per cent and 7.0 per cent respectively. In terms of mean monthly salaries & wages, female employees recorded a higher growth of 9.1 per cent while male employees at 7.5 per cent. [Exhibit 1]

MONTHLY SALARIES & WAGES OF EMPLOYEES BY EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT

The value of median and mean monthly salaries and wages for employees with tertiary education remained high, grew 3.0 per cent and 7.7 per cent respectively. [Chart 1]

In 2017, the growth rate for median monthly salaries & wages of employees in the urban area increased by 6.6 per cent per annum to RM2,260. Meanwhile, the median monthly salaries & wages for employees in the rural area grew 3.6 per cent. The growth of mean monthly salaries & wages of employees in both urban and rural areas were higher at 7.7 per cent and 6.3 per cent respectively. [Chart 2]

Detailed information regarding this report can be accessed through the eStatistik application in the Department of Statistics, Malaysia website, www.dosm.gov.my.

Released By:

THE OFFICE OF CHIEF STATISTICIAN MALAYSIADEPARTMENT OF STATISTICS, MALAYSIA8 May 2018